bookmark_borderFebruary

New Year has long since passed but it’s only now that I’m going to start focussing on the year ahead. With being away in Spain earlier in the month, and our nephew turning 18 – celebratory dinner/pissup this weekend – we’ve not really been looking any further than the end of this month.

So what will 2005 hold? As ever the battle against the flab will be fought, although this year we are both determined in a way we’ve not been before. We both need to diet and both understand that you really need to have your head in the right place for a diet to work. Sure you can manage a week or three of controlled eating and exercise but all it takes is a minor event and you fall off the wagon (leaving a large dent in the road) and no matter how much you promise yourself you’ll “start again on Monday” you never do. I think, even though we’ve not really discussed it, we are both waiting until this weekend is over to start the diets – although I am tempted to dig out the elliptical trainer (yes yes, “my ellipses need trained” – it’s been done already!) on Wednesday so I can whir away the hours watching Man Utd vs Chelsea. We’ll see.

I guess I could claim to have initiated another aim – I setup my (musical) keyboard at the weekend. It’s been standing on it’s end for the last year, gathering dust and occasionally I was sure I could hear it whimpering (in Cminor). I’ve found a few sites where I can.. er.. acquire sheet music, and received a Jamie Cullum book for Christmas so.. really.. I’ve not got an excuse.

I also expect that I’ll discover even more new music this year and I’ll try and couple that with some more good books (note to self: get that list of ‘to be read’ done and get them stacked up!). We are also trying to get back into the ‘cinema’ habit as our UGC cards just ain’t paying for themselves at the moment.

There is more, of course, but I’ll keep that under my hat for the meantime (no I’m NOT trying to generate interest I just don’t wanna say here, m’kay?). So, roll on February 2005. I think I might just be ready for you.

bookmark_borderPreparation

Passports and tickets – check
Euros (various denominations) – check
iPod full of new (and old) music – check
Camera batteries charging – check
Mobile phone chargers – check
Sunglasses and hat – check
Half the world’s supply of Tetley teabags – check
Books – still deciding
Clothes – still washing
Holiday mood – still intact from Christmas

We’re off to Spain for a week. It’ll be quiet-ish here but the janitor has the keys so you should be ok (literally: we have a house-sitter for the week).

Usually, whilst we are away, something happens. Something serious/big usually. This time the family has broken the rules and Louise’s Mum is currently lying in a Spanish hospital. This is BEFORE we are on holiday. Tut tut.

She’s fine, some chest pains but definitely not a heart attack (the translator told her she had had a minor heart attack but thankfully the Spanish doctor realised what he was saying and quickly put him right!). She’ll probably be back home before we get there but, as I’m sure you can imagine, Louise is even more keen to get there.

bookmark_borderAt least it's not Monday

Ahhh the morning commute – trains delayed, cancelled, packed to the gunnels – how I’ve missed you.

Still, only three days at work then six days off. Only three days. Only three days. Mind you the weather in Malaga doesn’t look too great at the moment but then it’ll be better than it is here. Have I mentioned that we fly to Spain on Monday?

I have to admit that getting up this morning was a real struggle, even my normally sprightly wife greeted the morning with a curse, and I’m not really in a work mood. I now wish I’d taken an extra three days holiday to get me through this week as well but I suppose I’ve got to start back at some point.

Ohhh and while I remember:
1. Yes yes, I’ve yet to restyle the rest of the pages of this site. I know!
2. Big Cat Diary is on all this week. Yay.
3. If you have me listed in your MSN, I’m currently using the nickname Tango.
4. Do try and remember to hush up at midday.

bookmark_borderGreat start

Hail, rain, gales. What a lovely way to start the new year.

Of course the first five and a bit hours were excellent, and it’s true time DOES fly when you are having fun, with much laughter and teasing and alcohol. Hell even my wee granny was having a drambuie to herself, through a straw I should add (she’s got a crick in her neck and can’t tilt her head back far enough to drain the glass), go Gran!

Home at 5.30a.m. and back up at 11.30a.m. and then a day of lounging around watching TV. Tomorrow my sister-in-law is coming over for dinner, and on Monday we’re visiting Stuart and Alan for dinner. Tuesday we have reserved for returning our house to some form of normality before we start back at work on Wednesday.

Work. Just the thought of it… eecchhhh.

Still I shouldn’t moan too much. We fly to Spain on the 10th, which leaves us next weekend to get all the things on the “could you please bring” list that Louise’s parents provide. That includes lorne sausage, beef, and a turnip. So far. Ohh and two lightshades. How the hell do you pack lightshades?!?!? Suggestions welcomed!

bookmark_borderEvil Empire

I’m a happy Telewest customer. They supply a good, reliable cheap phone service (my in-laws live in Spain now, so 2p a minute isn’t to be sneezed at), a reliable broadband service which isn’t the cheapest around but isn’t too far off the mark and all the TV channels we (don’t really) need. So why am I considering switching to Sky?

Well a couple of reasons, firstly Telewest recently dropped Nickelodeon. No, we don’t watch it, but the background as to WHY it was dropped is slightly worrying. Seems like negiotiations of carrier charges broke down, Nickelodeon started showing ads saying that Telewest were dropping the channel and to switch to Sky, so Telewest yanked the plug a day later. It’s thought both parties were in breach of contract for their actions but either way it doesn’t bode well for the future.

Secondly, I subscribe to Sky Sports as they only show NBA basketball on Sky Sports Extra*. However I’ve been watching the Champions League as well and as a Telewest user I don’t have the option of the six “extra” channels that they show the other games on. In fact “red button” support on Telewest is flaky at best (kills the set-top box at worst).

Thirdly, I want to do away with our video recorder. We hardly ever use it, although we’ll record some movies and stuff over Christmas, and this is all despite the few hundred movies we have on tape in the loft (No, not THAT kind of movie. Well not ALL that kind of movie.. hang on, my Mum reads this…).

And finally, I’m planning on getting a new TV in April next year, as we should have some extra funds then, and I’ll be handing back our, currently hired, TV and video. So either I buy a new video, or look at the alternatives one of which includes Sky+. I’ve done a bit of digging and I’m pretty sure that it’ll be another year or so before Media Centres (Centers) are established, and the other option is a combined PVR and DVD writer. Tempting but still pricey so again I’ll wait a while until they are better integrated into the mainstream. I will NOT be Betamax’d!

So, if I just put the fact that I’m fueling Murdoch’s Evil Empire to the back of my mind, I don’t see any problems. Any Sky+ users out there got any advice? Good or bad?

* I DID spot some on Channel 5 last night though, need to find out if that’s gonna be a regular thing.

bookmark_borderPriorities

I subscribe to the langalist. It’s a very useful PC email newsletter by Fred Langa which offers lots of practical advice on PC maintenance, smart programs (not COOL programs but ones that are useful and you’ll use more than once), and a good variety of articles on various PC related topics. He’s saved my bacon on several occasions so I’d recomment subscribing (it’s free). Today’s newsletter includes an article on end of year maintenance.

This is the bit that most people, including myself, fail. Backups for example, when did you last do one? I can’t recall when, but I know it’s over three or four months ago, which got me thinking.

If, god forbid, my entire PC including both hard drives, failed spectacularly and nothing was recoverable, what would I miss?

I have about 60GB of music, most of which only requires re-ripping the CD. All those programs I’ve downloaded can be re-downloaded, as can all those visual styles, wallpapers and such like. In fact bar a few personal documents (which ARE backed up on my pen drive) there is only one large folder that I would miss. My photos.

In a digital age, there is no film backup, and the originals are all stored on my hard drive. I DID burn a couple of DVDs as backup a while back, but I’ve added to them since then, and I really like some of them. So one of my tasks in the week between Christmas and New Year, a week I have OFF work (joy, bliss, rapture!) is to burn some up-to-date DVDs.

But therein lies another issue – how long do DVDs last before they start to degrade? It’s a worry indeed.

Ultimately though, I know that if I DID lose everything, whilst it would be major blow, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. It’s all about priorities you see. It’s the same principle that governs the fact that I’ve yet to buy Louise presents. A few months ago we booked tickets to Spain in January. We decided then that that would be our Christmas present, and we’d only get each other a few things. The priority for us is being together at Christmas. That’s why I always look forward to Christmas.

OK, that’s enough mushy stuff for now.